26 Hours in A Day
by Gweniveve Skyes
Summary: Random snippets and drabbles all the way from 'A' to 'Z'. SetoxIshizu-Trustshipping. Read and enjoy!
1. Attire

**Commandant 1# of fanfiction: Thou shalt not question the plot bunnies. They may be bloody brilliant, like here. **

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**Inspired by a friend's ABC's thingamabob, I said to myself: "Self, I should do one too, but not of this couple". Then, the bunnies struck. BAD. It was like watching a Viking hoard invade my imagination... Thus "26 Hours in a Day" was born. So I hope you enjoy and leave reviews on the way out :). They would be greatly appreciated...Seriously. Yes, this is Trustshipping (SetoxIshizu). Seems totally illogical, and yet at the same time...Well, if you don't like this couple, then why are you reading lol?**

The expression goes "clothes make the man", or woman in this case. Possibly

He never understood why she went around in the garb of her ancestors. He always said that the past should be forgotten, and that including clothing. She always said that it was honoring tradition, but there is always a time for the past to be discarded, like said clothing.

But yet...

He would never admit it to anyone, let alone himself, but he found it alluring. It was a mystery to him, _she _was a mystery to him. Like a puzzle to him, so he could solve it. Including why she still managed to dress in those 'traditional' clothing.

Women always used clothing as their tools to lure men in, Kaiba learned over the years. Mai used it _very_ well, which would explain why she had the mutt follow her like a love-struck puppy. Tea, while she wouldn't say it outright, used it too, though not to sch an extreme as the blond. And even Serenity, with her demure outfits and demeanor, managed to draw men in like flies to honey. Kaiba never sprung for the women that had to have some body part hang out somewhere, which screamed 'look at how insecure I am'! Or worse, 'I'm single!'. He thought it was vulgar and disgusting and uncouth. Why they dressed like that, he could never fathom; then again, he could never fathom the female mind really.

Ishizu however, was different. She didn't need skimpy clothing or bright colors. She had a quiet confidence that radiated from her being, how she held her carriage, her head held high and ocean blue eyes bright with intelligence. She had no need for the clothes of a modern age, for she was herself. And despite that her 'clinginess' to the past (which he frankly thought she didn't need), he found it attractive and captivating.

But he was Seto Kaiba and he would never, _ever_ think anything like that.

Which would explain why he would never admit his feelings for her.


	2. Brothers

His younger brother was the most valuable thing in the world to him. Heck, he would even give up his Blue Eyes for him, if it meant his safety and well being But some days...well, some days, his brother was the most vexing person on the planet. Next to the geek squad, of course.

"Seto?" Mokuba asked. He was sprawled on the couch, slowly flipping through the channels with the remote. In short, typical teenager behavior.

"Hmmm?" He barely looked up from the computer.

"You need to get out more."

"I go to school and compete in tournaments. How much more 'out' do I need?"

"You know what I meant."

"Of course I do. That's why I said I go to school and compete."

"Going to school doesn't count."

"Considering that I could afford private tutors instead, I would say it counts perfectly well." Kaiba went back to his computer, as if nothing happened. Mokuba, in true Kaiba fashion, didn't take that answer very well.

"What about going out with a girl?"

Kaiba closed his laptop. "What?"

"You know, take her out to a movie, maybe a dinner, then pray that you _might_ get lucky..."

"Mokuba!"

"What?"

"I said I don't need it."

"Yes you do." Mokuba came over to his desk. "I mean _bad._ You're turning into a hermit, only coming out for food and to play children's card games. You need to get _ out_, just for even one afternoon."

"Oh, and you're the expert now?"

"I go out more than you."

"Flirting with Rebecca Hawkins at that last tournament doesn't count." Noting the blush on Mokuba's cheeks, he went back to his computer, satisfied that he won the bout. Or so he thought. "Hey!" he shouted as Mokuba pulled out Seto's cell phone from his coat pocket. He flipped it open and started dialing. "Put that down right now!"

Mokuba snorted. "Trust me _Nii-Sama_, you'll thank me later." He paused as the phone dialed. "Marik, hey what's up dude?"

"Mokuba Kaiba, shut off that phone or I _will _ have you grounded!"

Mokuba placed a hand on the speaker. "Don't interrupt when I'm on the phone," he chided. Going back to the cell, he said, "Hey, is your sister free this weekend?"

_"Um, I think so. Why?" _Marik asked.

"Well, Seto was wondering if she would like to go to dinner Saturday." He paused. "I'm trying to get Seto out of the house," he whispered.

_"Ah. Lemme go see," _ Marik nodded_. _Mokuba waited patiently as Seto sat at his desk, sputtering like an angry cat who just got his tail pulled. _"Yep,"_ Marik replied _"She's up to it."_

"Sweet! Thanks Marik!" Mokuba hung up and smirked. "Looks like you have a date."

"What? Well I never- I don't believe—Mokuba!" Kaiba shouted, the first coherent thing to come out of the CEO's mouth since the phone call started.

Mokuba handed Seto back the phone. "Well, you better call her back, to figure out the details. We Kaibas may not be the most sociable people, but we don't bail out on an engagement." Mokuba sauntered out of the room, feeling triumphant. Seto stared at the cell phone, like it was an asp. He slowly picked up the phone (after Mokuba left the room of course) and hit the redial button. Mokuba was so going to be grounded after this fiasco was over and done with.

Maybe

XXXXXXXXXXX

"Hey, sis?

"Yes Marik?" Ishizu was in the kitchen preparing supper. Knowing Marik's poor streak with making even the basic food items (he had inadvertently caught an oven bake pizza on fire once, causing smoke to poor everywhere and every single smoke alarm to go off in the vicinity), Ishizu had taken it on herself to make their meals. Odion was at his job and wasn't to get back until later that night.

"You need to find a boyfriend."

"That was a random statement Marik. Why do I need a 'boyfriend', so to speak?"

"I don't want you to get lonely."

"That's considerate Marik, but I'm not lonely. I have my family."

"Ishizu, we aren't living underground anymore, waiting for some arranged marriage or another. We're here to make our own choices here."

"I know that."

"Then why haven't you gone looking, like the other girls?"

"Have you been watching those after school specials again?"

"Only when I'm really bored. It's like it's slowly sucking my brain away." Marik plunked himself down on the kitchen counter. "But in all seriousness Ishizu, I want you to be happy, and not just through us. I want you to be happy for yourself."

"I am happy Marik. And when the time comes, the time will come."

Marik sighed. "Okay." Then, as if by fate, the cell phone rang.

And before Ishizu knew it, she ended up on a dinner date with Seto Kaiba, of all people. She wondered if it was just a coincidence, with her and Marik's conversation, then the call, but after dealing with the Millennium Necklace for so long-

-Nothing is ever really just coincidence.


	3. Customs

Customs were a cornerstone to Ishizu's life. She lived off of them as a child, living in the catacombs of the Valley. She was expected to follow them as she got older, to inherit the Millennium Necklace, marry someone within the clan of the Tombkeepers and teach the next generation of the customs. When her brother was born though, her customs went out the window, so to speak. From the moment the Tombkeeper's mark was branded on Mariks's back, the customs she once held dear started to crumble and shatter around her. When Marik fled the underground, the blood of their father splattered on the ancient stone walls, she went after him, abandoning her principles to keep her family together.

She knew it would happen though, thanks to the Necklace, and all she could was to watch it race towards her like in incoming train and all she could do was watch. The Necklace was another custom; it was expected that the female child of the family was to receive the item, the lineage going all the way to Isis of Pharaoh Atem's High Court. That was another thing she dreaded, the loss of her Necklace. As the Pharaoh went to the afterlife, so must she toss away all dredges of her past.

Again, another custom.

But, for some reason, reasons that she could not even explain, it felt as if the Necklace had already left her, during the duel in Battle City. When she incorrectly guessed the future, giving Kaiba the win, the Necklace had left her. Maybe the Necklace was trying to tell her something, that a reliance on the customs of the past, of her family were flawed and no longer needed. And as she realized that, she felt oddly liberated, free.

"Ishizu?" Kaiba had come up behind her while she leaned on the rail. The cool night wind fluttered through her hair. The tomb of Atem, now sealed for good, faded away in the distance, under the veil of night

"Hmm, Seto Kaiba?" She turned to face him. He was in his black turtleneck and pants, his coat inside.

"What do you expect to do now?" It was an unexpected question from him, one that caught her off guard. "Your 'destiny' is now over. Your 'magic' is now gone, buried under piles of rocks and sand. Where it should be."

Ishizu gave a wan smile. "Magic is never truly 'gone', Seto. And I'm not sure what I'm going to do now. There is no need for me to keep up the customs of the Tombkeepers, for our purpose has been fulfilled. I guess, I guess there is, well, not nothing for there is always something-" she paused, thinking.

"You still like some cryptic fortuneteller," Seto sneered.

"That's because I was the 'cryptic fortuneteller' for most of my life. But, then again, we all can't be like you."

"What do you mean?"

"For many years, Marik and I were raised on the customs of the past. They're ingrained in us, literally, in Marik's case. To let go for us is like ripping away a part of the soul. You on the other hand, you have no roots. You see no need for them, only the survival of you and your brother. Because of this constant need to survive, many things, like customs and traditions, are cast by the wayside. You're like that American phrase 'a rolling rock gathers no moss'."

Kaiba crossed his arms. "You're right, I have no need for 'customs' and traditions because it is in the _past_. The past is over and done with. Just learn your lessons from it and _ move on_."

"Is that what you want to tell your brother? To forget the past? I may not know very much about your past, but I can bet that you must have been happy at one point or another. You want to tell him that that doesn't matter?" she countered. She didn't sound angry, but she sounded, almost disappointed in him. And that, to Kaiba, was more profound than if she was angry with him. He could handle anger, like a skilled fencer, countering his opponent's sabre. But disappointment, that was more difficult. He paused, biting his lip, remembering Mokuba talking about something like that while trapped in Noah's virtual world. Did the past always have to come back and pester him so?

Ishizu breezed by him, her facial features inscrutable. "Good night, Seto Kaiba." The bow of the boat was empty, save for Kaiba.

He growled to himself. Nobody ever made him question himself like that, ever. He stomped back to the inner part of the ship, feeling frustrated and irritated and confused.

As Ishizu went back to her cabin, she realized that Kaiba was right in some ways. Sometimes, customs, like the Necklace have to be buried in order to move on. IT would be better in the end. It always is.


	4. Dress

Kaiba never liked charity dinners; they always made him dress in formal clothing that made him feel like he was suffocating. He much preferred his long coat and his usual garb. He hated charity dinners even more when they were held at places at oh, the Egyptian exhibit at the Domino Museum. If someone had told him that the formal dinner was being held at this 'abominable' place, he would have never shown up.

But since no one did, he was stuck here. He could have left, but that would have been in poor taste, especially after donating a pretty chunk of change for the host charity. He didn't have a problem with giving away money; he had millions of it anyway, what was a fifty thousand check here and there? They also did make such wonderful tax write offs in April. He was sitting out away from the crowds, his back to them, out on the balcony that was part of the museum's banquet hall. It was used for catering and hosting business events and here it was to be used no different. The cool crisp night air gave him some relief, but not much

"You know, I would have never you, Seto, to show up here of all places," Ishizu greeted. He didn't turn around to greet her; he remained staring out into the night sky.

"Well, if someone had told me that it was being held at the museum, I would have never shown up."

"Maybe someone remembered that you had antipathy towards museums," she retorted. As she said this, Seto had the nagging suspicion that she was behind that comment.

"Was it you?"

"You know, it is considered polite to face someone when making accusations like that," Ishizu countered and Seto detected an unfamiliar undercurrent to her voice. Flirtation maybe? He wasn't sure.

And so he did and as he did, his mouth went dry at the sight. Ishizu was wearing a dark blue dress, with silver beads trailing down one side and curving about in a shimmering waterfall. The dress was a spaghetti strap, but she covered her bare shoulders with a shawl of a lighter hued, almost gossamer fabric. Her hair was down and she wore minimal makeup, just enough to highlight her dark blue eyes and lips. If he didn't have manners, and if wasn't in a public place, his jaw would have dropped to the floor, so to speak.

Now, Seto had always considered the color blue to be a good, noble color. He liked it, for it was the color of his eyes and the eyes of his dragon. But after that night, blue was to be Seto's favorite color, for life.

**You can consider this an early X-Mas present KoK *wink wink* lol.**


End file.
